Much of the time, live albums are shameless cash-ins, and, considering Roadrunner appalling record with those recently (does ANYONE need details?), I didn't hold out much hope that _Dead_ would break the cycle. It did; strike one, Obituary. _Dead_ is pretty damn good on a number of levels. It charts Obituary's career quite well, although "I'm in Pain" is the only song from _The End Complete_. It reproduces the live experience well, the sound is maybe a little worked on but it is the entirety of a single show in Boston. The song versions are good, with a few surprises (the drum solo in "I'm in Pain" is a nice one, the 45 second "Chopped in Half" is not). Overall, _Dead_ is definitely one for quite dedicated Obituary fans, particularly those who like the new album and _Cause of Death_ best, because those are the most extensively covered -- those who have never heard them, where have you been? For anyone else, it depends on how you stand with live albums; if you never actually listen to the ones you have, then _Dead_ doesn't offer enough extra to warrant a purchase; but if you enjoy them, it is definitely up there very close to Slayer's _Decade of Aggression_. At 65 minutes of length, it is certainly the longest Obituary album you're ever likely to find, unless they get all trippy on us: not likely from listening to _Dead_.